Ways to Cure Insomnia
Insomnia – the inability to fall or stay asleep – has held each of us in its grip at one time or another. Tossing and turning the whole night through, we finally succumb to whatever fitful nugget of sleep we can find and awaken the next day feeling confused and exhausted. Insomnia can cause havoc on our overall health, making us susceptible to a host of illnesses – and rendering us ineffectual during waking hours.
Finding the insomnia cure is a very personal journey. Certain things, which work for one person, may not work for another. It is best when seeking an insomnia cure to start adopting lifestyle changes one at a time to ascertain what works best for you, if anything. Luckily, there are many ways to fight insomnia and enjoy a good night’s rest.
Sleep disrupters are a class of disorders that prevent us from achieving this very important dream and deep sleep. Often the person with a sleep-disrupting condition will sleep 8 hours a night or more. But they still wake up tired and experience sleepiness throughout the day.
Sleep disrupters may also cause some other problems. Researchers have recently discovered that lack of sleep, especially lack of dream sleep, and can impair the ability to lay down new memory. It is not surprising that people suffering from sleep disorders often complain of difficulty in remembering things.
The most important symptoms of sleep disorders include excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue. Sleep disrupters act in a number of ways, in different parts of the body.
Alcohol is a sedative hypnotic, just like the prescription pills. If too much is consumed, it can cause coma and sometimes even death. Alcohol’s effect on sleeps changes with increasing consumption. Over time the chronic alcohol abuser will completely disrupt their sleep wake cycle and may never be able to sleep normally again. Expectantly, an alcohol abuser will realize this serious complication and stop drinking.
Caffeine generally stimulates the central nervous system. As all of us “coffee achievers” know, caffeine can wake up in the morning and keep us always alert during the day. One of the most interesting aspects of caffeine is the body’s changing ability to metabolize it as we put age. Many persons are able to tolerate large amount of caffeine when we are young. But as we age, our ability to metabolize caffeine slows and it is wise to limit consumption too early in the day. Senior citizens should also consider eliminating caffeine altogether.
My own favorite recipe for the best bedtime snack consists of half or quarter sandwich of turkey, cheese, and lettuce on white bread, with a little cranberry sauce. Wild lettuce is a natural soporific, but you can use any ordinary lettuce and still have a great sleep-promoting snack. The cranberry sauce in addition to tasting adds extra carbohydrates to help transport the tryptophan into the brain
If you find that you are still having difficulty in falling and staying asleep, then it may be wise to visit your doctor for an evaluation. There are many over-the-counter and prescription sleep drugs that will help in you in the short term if you are experiencing stress or other emotional factors.